ACHE 86th Annual Conference and Meeting - October 14-16 2024

30-Minute Presentations

A major aspect of student wellness is students’ belief in their ability to progress and succeed in their academic journey. Advising plays a critical role, supporting student success and development in higher education. Through a structured and intentional process, our academic advisors and faculty promote student development as well as academic success. By embracing an expanded, strategic vision of their role, advisors and faculty become key partners in fulfilling higher education's mission of student growth and success. In this manner, advisors and faculty serve multiple advising roles, such as developmental professional, instructor, and mentor. Holland and Westwood (2020) underscored the link between advising and academic attainment. They found while advising may not have a direct, quantifiable impact on grades, it provides critical holistic support enabling students to navigate the higher education environment. A strong advisor-student relationship contributes to students' ability to succeed academically. Saiyad and Mahajan (2023) provided an overview of advising's evolution and best practices, highlighting the shift from prescriptive course planning to a multifaceted, developmental process of advising encompassing intellectual growth, values clarification, career exploration, and more. In our leadership programs, advisors and faculty work to provide strong and intentional advising. Students are contacted on a regular basis for general advising and success coaching. In addition, students who are flagged for potential concerns (late papers, lack of engagement in LMS, low assessment scores) are engaged by faculty and advisor in an attempt to assist them to course-correct and be successful, both in coursework and throughout their academic programs.